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4K TV ReviewsOLED TV ReviewsTV Reviews
LG 65EF9500 OLED Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 23, 2016

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $6,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Blacks are truly black
Fine detail
Near-perfect off-axis viewing
Minus
Pricey
Annoying calibration menus

THE VERDICT
LG’s recent price adjustments have made the company’s OLED sets more approachable, though hardly cheap in the biggest-screen Ultra HD models. But in today’s market, you’re unlikely to find a UHDTV that offers better performance than this one.

While OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology offers most of the benefits of the now sadly departed plasma sets (and in some ways, more benefits), it’s been difficult to manufacture at commercially viable prices. So far, only LG is actively marketing OLED in the U.S. (though we hope others will follow). A recent drop in LG’s prices for OLED sets has rendered them more affordable, though still far from generating “Attention, Shoppers” announcements at K-Mart.

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A/V Veteran
Hidden Treasures, Guilty Pleasures: The Dish
Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 23, 2016
We assume you’re into home theater because you love movies, so this blog is the first in an on and off series of movie (and possibly TV-series) recommendations. I first wanted to dub them “Hidden Treasures and Guilty Pleasures.” But while I liked the alliteration, it was too long for a headline so I’ll have to settle for alternating between the two, as appropriate. [Ed. note: We worked a little magic to make the head fit.]

I have a broad taste in movies, from historical to science fiction and a lot in between. I’m not big on crime dramas, grisly horror movies (unless the sci-fi elements outweigh the gore, as in Alien and Aliens), or gross comedies that make me squirm more than laugh. But almost anything else is fair game. The Dish isn’t a story about Hollywood gossip, but rather an Australian film about a 100-ton satellite communications dish parked in a sheep paddock near the small town of Parkes in the rural Down Under. If that sounds boring, it’s anything but...

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Remotely Possible
Synology’s Syn-fully Awesome RT1900ac Router
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 23, 2016
Despite the fact that some (many—okay, most) people tell me I’m an idiot, I’m not. As proof, I can point to a variety of complicated tasks that I’ve managed to complete without requiring an inordinate amount of outside help. I’ve built a chicken coop; installed and programmed a Lutron RadioRA 2 lighting control system; raised three children; assembled two bicycles at 3 AM one Christmas morning; and founded a multi-billion dollar non-profit foundation dedicated to making it easy and understandable to install and use a high-speed wireless router in your home. Yeah, well, that last one? Not so much. In fact, if there’s anything in this world that makes me feel like more of an idiot than I really am, it’s dealing with wireless routers. And that’s why I’ve been smitten of late with Synology’s newest introduction, the Synology Router RT1900ac.
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Audio Video News
Dolby Vision and Atmos at the Oscars
SV Staff  |  Feb 23, 2016
With the Academy Awards just a few days away, Dolby has been quick to point out that three of the eight films nominated for Best Picture were mixed in Dolby Atmos sound and two use Dolby Vision high-dynamic-range imaging technology. The two technologies appear in other categories as well with Atmos garnering nine of the ten nominations for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing.
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Signals
LP Thunderdome: 2 Channels Enter, 1 Groove Leaves
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Feb 23, 2016
I'm on record (ha!) stating my opinion that the vinyl resurgence is socially and morally significant. Interest in vinyl is up, vinyl sales are up. Are downloads and streaming in trouble? Well, of course not. Still....

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Triad Adds Atmos-Enabled Speaker Modules
SV Staff  |  Feb 23, 2016
Triad has added two Dolby Atmos-enabled height modules to its InRoom Bronze and InRoom Silver speaker series.
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Audio Video News
The 5G Promise: Download Movies in Seconds
SV Staff  |  Feb 22, 2016
The fifth generation of wireless technology, or 5G, holds the promise of blazing fast mobile Internet speeds that would make it possible to download a blockbuster movie in seconds. The technology is still in the developmental stage but England’s University of Surrey is working with tech companies to build the world’s first 5G network by 2018.
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Sweepstakes
Win a Trip to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction!
SV Staff  |  Feb 22, 2016
Sound & Vision and TEN: The Enthusiast Network has teamed with Klipsch Audio to give our readers the chance to win tickets to the 2016 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 8th at New York’s Barclay Center.
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Audio Video News
Yamaha’s DTS:X Firmware Updates Coming Soon
SV Staff  |  Feb 22, 2016
Yamaha today announced that DTS:X firmware updates for several Dolby-Atmos-enabled receivers and other products will be available soon.
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Tech2
Firewatch Review
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Feb 20, 2016
It has been years since a game captured me this emotionally and intellectually. Probably not since the legendary (and perfect) Journey has a game so successfully conveyed emotion, story, and character.

Still not convinced you should check it out? How about this? It’s a choose-your-own-adventure story, with gorgeous graphics, music, and fantastically talented voice actors.

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